Drought

BURBANK HIGH — When the Burbank High girls’ water polo team scored the first goal of its playoff match with La Cañada, the Bulldogs probably figured there would be a lot more of the same. Unfortunately for Burbank, that wasn’t the case. In fact, the Bulldogs embarked on a monumental drought and weren’t able to tally another goal until midway through the fourth quarter. With the Bulldogs going cold, the Spartans stepped up; playing solid defense and getting key goals in a 6-2 CIF Southern Section Division IV quarterfinal win Saturday for La Cañada at Burbank.

Steve London Strong performances and imaginative writing combine with fast-paced direction in "The Patriot Acts," a series of one-act plays at the Alliance Theatre in Burbank. Seven American stories are divided and offered on alternating Blue and Red evenings with the "Lift" segment offered on both programs. This critic saw the Blue Evening, in which sharply conflicting feelings are evoked about traditional American ethical, moral, religious and spiritual values.

Driver has lucky escape as tree topples A large tree on the 900 block of North Screenland Road snapped near its base Tuesday, falling over a parked pickup truck seconds after the driver exited, witnesses said. Jenny Garcia said her husband had just parked on the street and was walking near the bed of the truck when the tree came crashing down. No one was hurt, but the truck sustained minor damage, she said. ?He was a lucky man,? she said. The tree looked healthy earlier in the day when she was watering her yard, so the sudden break was a surprise, Garcia said.

Writer’s attitude is just sour grapes I’ve often wondered why some people use only sarcasm when they want to criticize others. I’ve suspected it was because they’re stuck back in junior high school, and never took that class in high school that would have taught them that sarcasm is the tool of a weak mind. Richard J. Tafilaw brought this thought to me again when I saw his juvenile piece, “Pool and spa owners needed a voice,” in the May 16 Mailbag.

Laura Sturza With California on the verge of a drought, residents are urged to use low-cost techniques to stave off a water emergency -- and ultimately save money. "We have just completed a year with the lowest recorded rainfall in the history of Los Angeles or San Diego," Burbank Water and Power Director Ron Davis said. "There are cities that are already on strict water rationing." The only reason Gov. Gray Davis has not declared it a drought is because of stored water, Davis said.

MEMORIAL FIELD — After more than two decades, the wait is over. The Pacific League co-champion Burroughs High football team hosted El Rancho Friday night in a first-round Southeast Division playoff game, and the Indians had no plans on seeing their season end. The Gatorade bath and smile on Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop's face said it all shortly after the contest concluded, as the Indians beat the Dons, 41-21, capturing their first postseason...

CERRITOS — The last time the Bellarmine-Jefferson High football team won a playoff game, Eisenhower was the president, a gallon of gas was 21 cents and Coach Rolando Aguirre was in diapers. Oh, how times have changed. Bell-Jeff snapped a 54-year playoff drought Friday with a 28-21 first-round CIF Southern Section Northeast Division victory against Fairmont Prep at Cerritos Valley Christian High. “This is obviously a big win for us. We have kids who want to play hard and have a ton of heart,” Aguirre said.

Bits and Pieces It would be hard to name any group of plants as versatile as cactus and succulents. The variety of shapes and spectacular blooms they display are awe inspiring. They range from beautiful and delicate to rugged and dramatic. Spiny barrels, clustering rosettes, clinging vines and ground covers all belong to this moisture-efficient family. In California and Arizona, where every raindrop is treasured and droughts are common, the fleshy cacti and succulents have a lot to recommend them.

This isn’t a garden tour for pansies — it’s strictly native. The Theodore Payne Foundation’s 50-year anniversary garden tours today and Sunday include 50 gardens in Los Angeles County to commemorate the organization’s dedication to native California plants and Theodore Payne’s legacy. Payne dedicated his life to preserving wildflowers such as golden poppies and yellow tidy tips in his nursery and seed business. He helped to create the native plant garden at Descanso Gardens and in other gardens throughout Southern California.

With the Burbank, Providence and Bellarmine-Jefferson high softball teams eliminated from the CIF Southern Section playoffs Tuesday, another school year came to a close for the local sports teams. Only one individual ? Burroughs senior track and field runner Sadee Martinez ? remained, as she qualified for the Masters Meet in the girls? 1,600 meters. The conclusion of the three seasons added another year to the growing length of time the local schools have failed to win a CIF championship.

BURBANK - The Providence High girls' basketball team couldn't have asked for a better start in its playoff game Wednesday night. The Pioneers opened up their CIF Southern Section Division IV-A quarterfinal game against No. 2 Fairmont Prep by scoring the first seven points of the contest, while forcing three turnovers. Motivated by the opportunity to guide the program to its third-straight semifinal berth, the Pioneers looked determined and invigorated. Unfortunately for Providence, they then hit a monumental skid and a scoring drought that began in the first quarter and carried over into the second.

Officials at Burbank Water and Power this week urged customers to be vigilant about saving water in the wake of Gov. Jerry Brown's drought emergency declaration Friday , though the utility does not plan to implement mandatory conservation. Reducing the sprinkler usage from daily to three times a week is the most effective way to conserve, as more than half the city's water usage goes toward landscaping, said Bill Mace, the utility's assistant general manager. Usually, the utility sees a drop in water use during the rainy winter months.

This is the fourth in a four-part series looking back on the sports accomplishments of the four local high schools during the 2012-13 year. This installment is Burbank High: Coming into the 2012-13 campaign, the Burbank High girls' volleyball, softball and baseball teams had endured decades of futility when it came to winning league championships. The droughts were so lengthy, in fact, that the volleyball program hadn't claimed a title in 37 years, the softball team had gone 26 years without a crown and the baseball team was on its 22nd year without a title.

When she arrived at Burbank High as a freshman, Katie Hooper was determined to play multiple sports. Along with softball, Hooper competed in girls' volleyball and girls' soccer. However, after enjoying a successful sophomore season on the diamond for the Bulldogs, Hooper said she began to hear rumblings that she should specialize in one sport and not divert her efforts among multiple endeavors. "There were some people who did tell me that," said Hooper, who earned All-CIF Southern Section Division II honors after batting .539 with 48 hits, 45 runs batted in, 32 runs scored and nine home runs as a sophomore in 2010.

MEMORIAL FIELD — After more than two decades, the wait is over. The Pacific League co-champion Burroughs High football team hosted El Rancho Friday night in a first-round Southeast Division playoff game, and the Indians had no plans on seeing their season end. The Gatorade bath and smile on Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop's face said it all shortly after the contest concluded, as the Indians beat the Dons, 41-21, capturing their first postseason...

This isn’t a garden tour for pansies — it’s strictly native. The Theodore Payne Foundation’s 50-year anniversary garden tours today and Sunday include 50 gardens in Los Angeles County to commemorate the organization’s dedication to native California plants and Theodore Payne’s legacy. Payne dedicated his life to preserving wildflowers such as golden poppies and yellow tidy tips in his nursery and seed business. He helped to create the native plant garden at Descanso Gardens and in other gardens throughout Southern California.

Driver has lucky escape as tree topples A large tree on the 900 block of North Screenland Road snapped near its base Tuesday, falling over a parked pickup truck seconds after the driver exited, witnesses said. Jenny Garcia said her husband had just parked on the street and was walking near the bed of the truck when the tree came crashing down. No one was hurt, but the truck sustained minor damage, she said. ?He was a lucky man,? she said. The tree looked healthy earlier in the day when she was watering her yard, so the sudden break was a surprise, Garcia said.

Writer’s attitude is just sour grapes I’ve often wondered why some people use only sarcasm when they want to criticize others. I’ve suspected it was because they’re stuck back in junior high school, and never took that class in high school that would have taught them that sarcasm is the tool of a weak mind. Richard J. Tafilaw brought this thought to me again when I saw his juvenile piece, “Pool and spa owners needed a voice,” in the May 16 Mailbag.

CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday voted 4 to 1 to approve six stages of mandatory water restrictions, despite repeated warnings from Councilman David Gordon that city officials had not adequately vetted the legal, environmental and safety implications. Under the draft regulations approved Tuesday, property owners will be placed under a number of mandatory water-use restrictions meant to curb Burbank’s consumption as regional wholesale deliveries are cut in July.

BURBANK — City officials are bracing for a Metropolitan Water District of Southern California decision that could increase water rates by as much as 35% as the state continues to struggle with a drought emergency. City executives are weighing in on the matter and hashing out a plan to inform residents of the pending spike in water rates before the water district board votes on the matter at its April 14 meeting. The City Council announced plans this week to send e-mail and letters alerting the public about the coming vote.